(The connection crapped out on me a couple of times, so I might have made the occasional double up or left things out. I apologise in advance.)

Well, I made it to Peru!

I was sad to leave England, but the journey had to continue.

I arrived into Lima airport from Madrid quite early in the morning, but it seemed that several other plans had landed around that time too, as the customs hall was pretty busy. I had a very stern young woman customs officer and I was worried for a minute that she wouldn´t let me through! But she obviously did!

Thankfully I asked my hostel to book a driver to collect me from the airport. I felt quite posh having a sign with my name on it! The best part of it was that I got to say "no" to all the pesky taxi drivers who assault your personal space the moment you walk through the arrivals door. They are on you, one after the other. I introduced myself to the driver by saying something along the lines of "como esta Suzy!", which basically means "how are you, Suzy?"! No wonder he gave me a funny look! I got a bit confused with my Spanish and was tired. That´s my excuse anyway, although it´s a very, very basic mistake to make (should have been "me llamo Suzy").

We made our way to the taxi and a man came from nowhere and tried to help us put my bags in the boot. My taxi driver told him to go away but he didn´t get the hint and still tried to help. The driver shut the boot, opened the car door for me and then he got in his seat. The other guy was outside my door waving me goodbye. It was really weird!

My first impressions of Lima weren´t that flash, to be honest. It was hazy/foggy/smoggy - take your pick - and the place seemed be full of houses that were half built, or falling apart. The ground around the coastal road to Miraflores, where the hostel was, was just dug up dirt. It just didn´t seem like that nice a city.

I checked into the hostel and just lay on the bed for most of the day, intermittently sleeping and watching tv (Frasier, Friends, Donna Hay cooking show and a couple of other English language programmes that had subtitles, and weren´t dubbed). It was quite good watching the programmes and reading the subtitles as I was able to pick a few things up.

Later in the afternoon, I braved the Lima streets to go to the supermercado (supermarket) a few blocks from the hostel to get something for dinner and the bus ride to Huancayo the next day. The drivers here are crazy! It can be a bit scary crossing the road as you don´t know if the drivers will stop for you, even when you have right of way, so I ended up just waiting for a local to cross, and followed them.

The same lovely taxi driver who collected me from the airport picked me up early the next morning to take me to the Cruz del Sur bus terminal. I had a little bit of a wait there, but a kindly lady tried to talk to me for a while. We established we were both going to Huancayo, and she expressed surprise when I said I was travelling in Peru on my ownsome. When I got to Huancayo, she looked out for me and came and said goodbye, which was nice of her.

The bus trip was uneventful (you do hear the occasional horror story about buses here). The hostel had booked me an awesome seat, right at the front of the bus, on the top deck. On the other side of the aisle from me were a French woman and an American man. When he wasn´t sleeping, he was usually moaning about something. He has diabetes and I guess needed some fruit or something for it, but didn´t come prepared, and when we had a brief stop for refuelling, had a go at the lovely hostess when she said he couldn´t get off to buy something from the shop. She eventually gave in and asked the bus driver if the man could get off to go to the shop, and he was allowed to, but had to do so very quickly. He took his time getting out of his seat, and just after he got off the bus, the bus started pulling away. It stopped for a very, very short time, then started driving again, but there was no sign of the American man! Me and the French lady looked at each other, half surprised, half laughing! Where was he? Were we a bit naughty that we didn´t even check if he had got back on the bus or not? We enjoyed the peace and quiet and about 20 minutes later, he came back up.

When we eventually came to Huancayo (about an hour later than planned), he decided that he didn´t like the look of the place and was going to try to get a bus back that night, or maybe even a flight! All that travelling only to leave as soon as possible!

I admit that pulling into Huancayo, I wasn´t sure I liked what I saw either. It seemed very dusty, brown, busy and just not what I was expecting. Although I don´t really know what I was expecting.

I was met at the bus terminal by Juliana, the programme director. She took me to the volunteer house. The house is actually an apartment block with five apartments. I am in the ground floor apartment with Jenny, a nurse from America, and above us is the other volunteer apartment, which has three bedrooms. Currently in there are Anne, from France, Colette from England, and Christina from Austria.

While we waited for a key to my room, Juliana took me for a walk to the local supermacardo to get some supplies. When we got back, the landlady was there with my room key, so I was able to start unpacking. Juliana said that Jenny would be home soon, and left to me to get settled. Jenny came home a while later and we got on instantly, which is good! She took me upstairs a little later to meet the others, and together with Orit, from America, who is staying in the offices a few minutes walk away, we all went to a restaurant for dinner and I had my first night out in Peru.

We went to a place called La Cabaña and had, of all things, pizza! There was a live band that played Andean music, and later dancers in traditional clothing who danced traditional dances came in. One of the guys even got me up to dance, although I had no idea what I was doing! Later, the locals got up to dance, and we were all pulled up as well. It was a lot of fun. I like that here people seem to go out to dance and have fun and socialise, rather than get drunk, get into fights and find a shag for the night. Bit different to home! I don´t quite know how I managed that night, as I was tired and a little breathless and a little amazed that I was actually, finally, in Peru!

The next day I went for a walk into the centre with Jenny and Orit. The centre isn´t far at all from our barrio, El Tambo, and it was a nice way to see the place. We went to the big supermarket in town to get some more food. Plaza Vea doesn´t just do food, but electronics, clothing, manchester, etc.

Later that night we went to a restaurant called Antojitos (I think) for more pizza (sometimes it´s the only vegetarian food on the menu), sangria and dancing. The band was great and played a good mix of music, including, bizarrely, a couple of Men at Work songs! We had a great time there. We later moved onto a discoteca called Taj Mahal, but I left after a short time as it was way too smokey for me.

The next morning all six of us volunteers crammed ourselves into a taxi (two people on the front seat, four in the back!) for the 20 or so minute ride to Concepcíon. Concepcíon has the largest statue in South America after Rio´s Christ the Redeemer. It´s a big Virgin Mary. We had to climb a bit of a hill to get to her, and being from Wellington, you´d think I´d be used to it, but the altitude got the better of me, and I got quite thirsty, breathless and puffed. Got there in the end though and was rewarded with a lovely view of the town, and a bit of the Andes! We had a picnic up there and then wandered back into town for ice cream and a mosey through the local markets, where I bought a little coin purse that´s got a traditional Perú pattern on it. Very pretty!

We sadly had to leave lovely Concepcíon and this time caught a stationwagon taxi back to Huancayo. Anne and Orit sat in the boot, so we all had more room this time!

The next morning was my first Spanish lesson. I´m glad I had some lessons back home, as I would have come out even more confused and overwhelmed probably! There was a lot to take in, and a lot of homework to take away!

That afternoon was my first at the community centre. The kids are lovely and are excited to greet you (and in my case, meet me!). The first hour is devoted to helping them with their homework. I tried to help one boy with his maths. He seemed pretty clued on but there were a couple of instances where he had got something wrong. I couldn´t explain where he´d gone wrong, as I don´t have the language skills yet. Christina came and talked him through it, and he changed one of the answers, but not the other, even though he was about 100 points off the correct answer! He wouldn´t believe us! And I think he just wanted me to go away! We ended up playing on the same two man soccer team later on, and I think I redeemed myself in his eyes. I saved a few goals (and let some through). When we were walking back after closing time, he was on the other side of the road and called out "Miss! Miss!" and waved goodbye to me when he got to his place.

On Tuesday morning, I went to the nursery with Juliana and Orit. I was hoping I would be in the same class as Orit, but we aren´t. I am in a class with Doris, the teacher, and about seven cute-as little kids.

The nursery is a governmnent-run initiative providing free childcare for very poor families and single parents so they can work. The kids are there from around 8am to 4pm and are given at least two hot meals (there may be a third, but I am only there for three hours). I don´t even think NZ does that - go Perú!

It might be bad to admit it, but I already have a couple of favourites - Valentin and Jesús. All the kids are cute in their own way, but those two are little honey-pies!

I spent my time there playing games with them, helping them wash their hands, feeding the youngest, wee Marcos, who is perhaps 15 months or so, breaking up toddler fights (slapping, pinching, hair pulling, that sort of thing). It was hard work, but it was fun.

The bus ride there is about 20 or so minutes. It takes me through a different part of town to where I´ve been so far, and we end up in quite a deprived-looking area. The buses here aren´t like at home. They are like minivans! We catch one goes to San Pedro and part of the road is unsealed and so bumpy I wonder how the decrepit looking van doesn´t just fall apart! Very average height me can´t even sit comfortably, and I always have one leg on in the aisle, and the other pressed hard up against the back of the seat in front of me. Peruvians are quite little - short and petite. I feel quite tall here sometimes!

On Thursday at the nursery we took three classes out for a little walk and picnic. The walk wasn´t very long (the kids are only little, after all) and we ended in a field with trees that the kids played in. One of the teachers´ nephew came along to say hello. He is 19 and learning English so practiced on Orit and me.

On Friday at the community centre, we had a leaving party for Colette. Juliana had decorated the classroom and we had party food and juice. Colette sat at the front and all the kids came up and thanked her for teaching them. Two of the little girls sang her a song. I didn´t understand (and sometimes couldn´t hear) most of what was said, but it still bought a tear to my eye, especially the song. Juliana put some music on and we all got up and danced. Apparently some of the kids liked my dancing! Interestingly, they can´t really say my name. I don´t know what is so hard about ´Suzy´ but when they all said welcome to me and Jenny on our second day there, they called out Jenny´s name fine, but there was just a silence when it came to mine! Haha! I´ve just been calling myself Susana to them now, as some of them seem to find that easier.

On Friday night, Jenny, Orit and I went to the movies and saw Hombres de Negro, or Men in Black to you and me. It was dubbed (very odd not hearing Will Smith´s voice coming out of his mouth!), but it was still very easy for me to figure out what was going on. And how cool that Jemaine Clement is in it! Can´t wait to see it in English when I get home!

Saturday was a cruisy one. I´ve got a bit of a cold, so just mooched about the apartment for the most part. I quite like watching tv here, even though I don´t understand most of it. It´s still a good way to try and pick things up, but mostly it´s cheesy and everyone looks like they are from 1986! They had a couple of funny home video programmes on that I watched yesterday, and funny animals are beyond any language! Jenny and I took our laundry to a laundromat in town. It´s S/. 16 for them to wash, dry and fold it. I initially started handwashing my clothes, but I don´t really know how to handwash (at home, I just put anything for handwashing into a lingerie back and chuck it in the washing machine. Have never handwashed in my life!) and everything was coming out slightly slimy from too much washing powder and not enough rinsing. I couldn´t even wring them out enough, and they were still dripping on the line, so decided to shell out the money and let someone else do it for me. Bliss!

We had a 20th birthday party for Orit at the office later that afternoon. Her host family came along too, along with our new Irish volunteer Aidan (aka Adrian, as he sometimes accidentally gets called!). We moved indoors later when it got cold and had a singsong, with Aidan playing guitar. It was fun, a nice evening. Jenny and I left to get our laundry and met up with the others for our second dinner of the night. Guess what I had? Yep, pizza! I shared a big one with some of the other girls. 99% of the menu was meat-based, but we asked if they had vegetarian pizza and were told that the Americano (I think it was called) was - you know, the one with the ham on it! We asked them to take the ham off and replace with mushrooms and olives, which they did. We ended up at the fabulously named w***a w***a, which is like a big marquee with live band and lots of people. I got up for a dance, but left around midnight as I was tired and not feeling the best. Colette and Jenny left too, so for a change I wasn´t the first to pike.

First week so far has been good. An eye opener. There´s a lot of poverty here, and people send their kids out to beg or sell lollies in the crowded streets and at night when it´s cold and dark. It´s pretty awful. There are so many dogs here, mostly strays. They are pretty good for the most part, just wander around and don´t have anything to do with you. One slightly creepy looking dog did turn around and follow us for a bit last night though. We didn´t like that! The neighbours on the third storey of our apartment block have a weird looking, friendly wee dog who makes one hell of a noise for its size. I think they let it out first thing and it comes down and sits outside my room and just barks. And barks. And barks. I hate it! It´s not nice waking up so early with the beginning of a headache, even when I have earplugs in.

It´s also very, very cold at night, and this part of the world doesn´t seem to know what heaters are! I sleep in thermals, socks, a beanie, my sleeping bag, about four thick blankets and a throw, but am still cold some nights! The days are generally sunny and warm though.

The people are friendly and here they look very much like you would expect for this part of the world, but the advertising and people on tv shows only really show the more Western looking Peruvians, which doesn´t really seem right. It doesn´t reflect the diversity of the country.

Righto, I´m off to the markets now, to hopefully get myself a nice, warm cardy to wear around the flat in the evenings. Some nights even the thermals don´t cut it! We are then going out for a late lunch as Colette leaves tonight on the night bus. And I still have my homework to do. I thought I would give myself a break from it yesterday. Maybe not the wisest move, but I spend hours doing it each day and sometimes you just need a break.

Hopefully I´ll get back on here later in the week.

x

PS - I will get some photos uploaded at some point. The photo above is from Trujillo, but it looks kind of similar to the cathedral in Huancayo.